There are many applications where it is necessary to provide a large area light source. An example is the illumination of liquid crystal displays such as are found in watches, clocks, cellular telephones, pagers, etc., so that they can be easily read in low ambient light environments. At present, such displays are illuminated with one or more miniature lamps which radiate light. In such displays, the light non-uniformly illuminates the display, making portions of the display dimmer and harder to read than others.